Fuel-reserve apparatus for fuel tanks



July 1, 1930. e. BARNHART 'FUEL RESERVE APPARATUS FOR FUEL TANKS Filed Oct. 14, 1925 .irlrlluliillvllliltl A TTORNEY Patented July 1, 1930 UNiTED S T GEORGE. n'nnnnnnn'r, oFrAsADE-NA, CALIFORNIA PATENT optics,

ronn-nnsnnvnnrrnnnrus.non FUEL cranks 1 Application filed October 14, 1926. SeriaiNo.141',643.

My invention relates to a fuel reserve apparatus for fuel tanks, more particularly for vehicle fuel tanks. 1 f

The objects of my invention are; first,

5 to provide, an apparatus of this class which can be readily applied to the outside of of this classwhich'may be applied to con ventional vehicle fuel tanks vby merely removing a singlefitting connecting the fuel tank with a feed line'a'ndsubstituting my apparatusin its place third, to provide an apparatus of this class which may be ap- 20, plied to the fueltank of either avacuum. or gravity feed system of vehicles; fourth,"

' to provide an apparatus of this classwhich,

although positioned outside of the conventional tank, will not interfere inany way with the functioning of the tank -or adjacent apparatus; fifth, to providea compact tubular fuel reserveapparatus, adapted to be mounted on the outside of a fuel tank, and

' in which only a small, amount of fuel is required for' perfect functioning, and which .will not materially interfere with the flow of the fuel'from the tank into the feed system; sixth, to provide as a whole a novelly constructed apparatus of thisclass; and,

seventh, to provide an apparatus of this class which is particularly simple and economical of construction, durable, eflicient teriorate'or get out of order,

. 7 With these and other objectsin view, as

will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construetion, combination and arran ement of parts and portions, as i will be ereinafter de scribed in detailjand particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the characters of reference thereon which form apart of this application in which:

Figural is a't'ransverse sectional "elevain its action and'which will not readily de- L fitting is-eliminated and by fuel reserve tional view of a conventional vehicle I fuel tank, showing my fuel reserve apparatus connected, to the lower portion thereof and extended with its control portion to the instrument board of the vehicle, the control portion being shown by dotted "lines as shifted to its outer position; Fig. 2' is ,a fragmentary elevational view of the tank and my'fuel reserve apparatus, showingthe the relation of the same to the cowl and hood of an automobile; Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the main portion of my apparatus shown separate and apart from the fuel tank, the section being taken through 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. lis .a transverse sectionalview thereof, taken through -4-4 of Fig. 3. I

j I Like characters of reference refer tosimilar parts and portions throughout the several views of the drawings.*

3 The illustration'of the fuel tank and its relation to adjacentpartsof the automobile,

as illustrated in Figsland 2, is similar to that of automobiles now in common use.

-However', my invention is not limited to such tanks and such arrangement. As will be seen in the illustration, the fuel tankifT is mounteddirectly below the cowl O and be tween the dash board D and the instrument board I of the automobile. At thei bottom portion of the tank T is provided an outlet T to which is conventionally connected a sediment trap S of any suitable construction, Said sediment trap is usually directly connected, by means of an. L fitting, with 'the fuel feed line V connected. with the vacuum tank. g

In my constructiomthe above mentioned Boden"cable tube 5, a knob 6, a screw 7, and an air breather tube 8. Y

3 "The outer tube 1 is provided near lower "end with a side outlet connection 9gwhich is externally threaded and connectedwith inner tube .2 which extends to the shoulder formed by the connecting portions l0, as

shown best in Fig. 3. The space between the tubes 1 and 2 maybe sealed at the upper end by an annular member 12 which may be formed by turning in the upper end'of the outer tube 2. Near the upper endof the v p "idenrieaiapaihu described is applicable to to ordinarily permit all fuelin the tank T.;-, above the level of the port 2?, as indicated; .by the linedesignated X in Fig. 1, to flow through the connection 9, thespace between;

the tubes .1 and 2,.through the tube 2, and;;

tube 2,.is provided a port 2* which is adapted into the feed line.

. ..Near.the..lower endot the tube 2 is pro- .vided another port 2iwhich, when desiring to have the fueltank, functionalso as a re, serve tank, is.co,vered by .means of a tubular .valve 3. Said .tubularvalve is preferably provided at. its lower end. with a cross por-j, tion3 to'which issecured the one end of the Boden control cable wire 4. Said wire 4 ex-,

tendsupwardly through said valve, through .thetube 2, into and .through the Boden con,

trol cable tube 5, and is secured at its opposite end, bymeans of. a screw 7, to an appa;

qratus control knob :6., The Boden control. cable tube 5 is vsecured at its one or forward. endto theupper end of the tube 2 and Y sealed relative thereto, andis secured at its opposite end, in any suitable manner, to the instrument .boar'd 1.1 -The portion of the, cable tube 5, immediately above the tube f2, is constricted, asindicated by, 5, to; retain .to be; -continuously connnected with said the fuel-within thetube 2, and also to preventrainfrom passing into the same and,

eventually breaking the. vacuum, seal. it will .be here notedthat a. constriction, or

.stufiingbox of any desired construction may be used to seal .the spacebetween the wire 4L. the tub'e'5. In the side wall of the tube 2 is.

' provided another opening 2 which is, preterably positioned slightly'lower. than the port 2? so thatv allthe fuel may be drained; from the tank below the level of .thelower portion of the port 2 To .the,.,opening 2 isv connectedthe breather tube;.8. which is extended upwardlytopreferably above the. ..tank T. .At the. upper endofthe tube 8 is.

provided a check valve ,l3; to prevent the fuel from flowing out of the upper end (of said tube,.or a tiny vent maybe used a level below the port 2?, as vindicated by X,

. .When the .fuel Within the tank, T reaches in Fig. 1, air is drawnin-wardly through the tube 8, theuvacuumsealis broken and fuel;

3 fails to. passthrough the. port 2. The obvious. stopping or-v sputtering of the motor,

dangling of the knob 6 at the end of the Boden cable wire t will continuously remind the operator thathe is drawing on his reserve" fuelsupply and will notify him to replenish his fuel ,supply in the tank. The

a gravity; feedsystem such as used in certain, types f ve hicles. If desired, the

breather tube maybe connected with the .upper p ti n. Q the tank Though I V have Qshown A and described a particular cOnStI lQtiMX, combination and arrangement of parts and po rtions I do not wish. to be limited,to this partlcular construction, combination and, arrangement, but

desire to. include in'the scopeof my invention theconstruction, combination and arrangemen 's sta i lly 2 et o thi the app n ed la HiLVlHg,;i3hl1S,,d6QIlbQd my invention,

what I 'claim afs new and desirej to secure lnlmareserve apparatus of the class de- -;,scribed, the combination with a tanlrhaving an outlet at its lower portion, a tube pro- ;vided, near its lower end with means tor connecting the same to the outlet of said the same with the space between the same and adapted to normally cover andtheouter tube, saidspace being adapted being adapted to be continuouslyconnected with a I feed line, and twelv member reciprocally mounted atthe lbwei' end of said second tube. and wholly withinthe first tube v the port at the lower end o; ;t hesecond tube.-

2.,In a,reserve apparatus of the class described, the combinationwith a tank having .an, outlet at its,lowerf portion, of a tube pro- ,vided near its lower end with meansfor connecting the same to the outlet of said tank,

another tube. positioned within the former andprovided near itsupper and lower ends with ports adapted to connect the same with the space between the same and the outer tube, said space being adapted to be con- ,t n110us1y'.0l. .n d Withsa k an t e i t r of. said o d ub ei da to be; continuouslyconnected with a feed line, ,a valve member i reciprocally mounted at the lower end of said second tube and W olly .is' hinl the fi st t b a d adapted to normally cover the .port at the lower end of the second tube, a flexible control tube connected with the upper end of said second tube and'extending to within reach of the operator of the vehicle on which the tank is mounted, and a control wire connected to said valve and extending through said flexible control tube, the portion of the latter tube adjacent said second tube being constricted around said'wire.

3. In a reserve-apparatus of the class vdescribed, the-combination with a tank having an outlet at its lower portion, of an outer tube having a side outlet near its lower end connected with the outlet of said tank and provided with another outlet at its lower 7 end adapted to be connected with a feed line, an inner tube positioned within the; outer tube and spaced therefrom, said inner tube being connected near its upper and lower portions with the space between the same and said outer tube and at its lower end continuously with a feed line for supplying fluid to the same, and a tubular valve, of

, a length shorter than the outer tube reciprocally mounted at the lower portion of said inner tube adapted to normally seal the connection between the inner tube and the space between the inner tube and the outer tube.

In testimony, whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California,-this etth'day of October, 1926.

GEORGE BARNHART. 

